


the last tether to hope

by MavenMorozova



Category: Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer
Genre: Angst, Apologies, Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Kissing, One Shot, Pandemics, Promises, Request Meme, Sickfic, Virus, Vulnerability, kaider
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-12
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-06 00:09:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25854118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MavenMorozova/pseuds/MavenMorozova
Summary: He had married Queen Levana far too soon.Kai had caught Letumosis. Kai was going to die. And Cinder knew that despite the hysterical already-in-mourning act Levana was putting on, his soon-to-be-death was no accident.Fate was cruel.
Relationships: Kai/Linh Cinder
Comments: 6
Kudos: 11





	the last tether to hope

**Author's Note:**

> requested by an anon on tumblr: kaider character death + lots of angst. hope u like it darling!!
> 
> set after the events of scarlet, before the events of cress

He had married Queen Levana far too soon.

Cinder had railed and railed against it; she’d done everything she could to save him from the terrible fate that was their political union, because they both knew that it was a temporary solution, a simple placation. They both knew that not only would it destroy Kai, but also the entirety of Earth.

She’d gone to the ball, initiating the manhunt across the planet. She’d embarrassed herself, too, though that was the least of all her problems. She’d actually allowed herself to develop  _ feelings  _ for Kai, and try as she might, she couldn’t push them away, much to Iko’s delight.

But none of it mattered, because now they were married, and somewhere across the hundreds of thousands of kilometers separating Cinder from Kai, she knew that he was consummating the marriage. The thought was utterly revolting at best and terrifying at worse. Because although the picture in her mind of Kai sharing a bed with Levana spiked a reasonable amount of jealousy within Cinder, she was more focused on the fact that Levana could use her bioelectric manipulation on him for the entire night.

She couldn’t stop worrying about him, despite the fact that she knew he’d gone into this knowing the risk, knowing that marrying Levana was akin to sacrificing every bit of independence and personal liberty that he had.

When Cinder gathered in her surroundings again, her thoughts floating back to reality, she realized that she’d been picking at the cuticles on her left hand, and now the skin around her thumb was raw, red, and throbbing painfully. Quickly, Cinder raised the cuts to her mouth and sucked on the irritated spot briefly, before shaking her hand wildly in the air, as if that would make the feeling dissipate.

Again, her thoughts circled back to Kai. Just as they always did.

***

It was barely a day later when she heard the news on the netscreen that projected into the Rampion. Iko was flashing the lights of the ship in agitation, and the whiplash of it all only made Cinder feel more panicked. Scarlet was sitting at the table, her teeth gnawing on her thumbnail, while Wolf was pacing the length of the bay in short, sharp steps. Thorne was simply standing there with him arms crossed, face unmoving. For once, Cinder couldn’t decipher him.

Kai had caught Letumosis. Kai was going to die. And Cinder knew that despite the hysterical already-in-mourning act Levana was putting on, his soon-to-be-death was no accident.

Levana had done this, just as she always had been behind everything. Hadn’t Cinder warned Kai that this would happen? And he hadn’t listened to her. He had just rushed into it.

Cinder wanted to be angry with him, but she was too stunned, still reeling from the broadcast. She could barely breathe, and her non-cyborg hand was shaking slightly.

“Cinder, are you alright?” Iko’s voice came from the speakers.

Slowly, Cinder shook her head. “I—I need to see him. One last time. Please.” She drew her eyes from the netscreen and met Thorne’s gaze, which currently was filled with a terrible mixture of pity and fear. She wasn’t sure if he was afraid of her or afraid of Kai, but whatever it was, it made Cinder want to scream.

This wasn’t fair. Nothing about her life was fair.

She resisted the urge to let out a cry, but she did sink to the floor, letting out a choked sob, though no tears fell from her eyes. Stars, she couldn’t even cry over the one she loved.

A moment passed before Scarlet said, “Do you...think it’s safe?”

“Stars, I don’t care,” Cinder replied bitterly. “You can drop me off on the roof, even. I can find my way in and back out, while you take a few orbits. I just want to say goodbye.”

“And tell him ‘I told you so?’” Thorne added warily. Cinder could tell that he was trying to smile, but failing miserably. She didn’t even try to lift her lips. “Maybe,” she replied.

***

Somehow, she managed to get into the palace a week later, after they had formulated an infiltration plan. Miraculously, Kai had held out until then, somehow. With a twinge of something that she didn’t want to acknowledge, Cinder thought that it was almost as if he knew she was coming.

She reached his room through an air duct. Though the bolts holding the grate down were much heavier and tighter than those that had secured the grates in the prison, Cinder found that she was still able to unscrew them with a little bit of effort. After checking that the room was clear of all persons excepting Kai, she dropped from the vent and onto the plush rug, jolting from the impact.

“Kai?” Cinder whispered tentatively.

He was lying propped on a fluffy pillow, eyes closed, face pale and littered with ugly Letumosis-induced bruises. With a small flutter of her heart, Cinder realized that despite all of this, he was still beautiful. Then she cursed herself for being so trivial.

He did not move when she spoke his name again, but shifted a little when she touched her metal hand to his cheek. Finally, Kai’s eyes cracked open, lids blinking slowly. His gaze locked upon hers, recognition clicking in. “C-Cinder?”

“It’s me,” she said softly, feeling her head begin to pound with the tears that could never be released. “I came. I needed to see you.”

“Where is Levana?”

“She’s in a meeting. Probably to see what Earthen nation she can conquer first,” Cinder couldn’t help but allow the bitterness seep into her voice. It would be impossible not to.

Kai gulped, what looked to be a painful motion. “Cinder I’m—I’m sorry. I let you down. I let the Commonwealth—” He broke into a harsh cough, leaving his intended apology hanging between them in the air.

“Shh,” Cinder whispered, running her hand of human skin through his hair, once so thick and soft, but now thin and brittle. “Don’t talk.” She sighed heavily. “I...shouldn’t have blamed you. There was really nothing to be done. I understand.”

Rather than reply, Kai let out a soft sob, and it broke Cinder’s heart. She’d never seen him so...broken. She didn’t want to be here, to see him like this. Did that make her weak? A coward? As bad as Levana?

“I’m the one who should be sorry,” she continued. “I didn’t tell you I was a cyborg or a Lunar. Grant you, I didn’t know about the Lunar part until a couple of days before the ball…” She shook her head, annoyed with herself. Then she took a deep breath. “Kai, there’s something you need to know before you—well—”

“Die?” he suggested, attempting a quirked grin. Cinder’s face crumpled, and it was a moment before she could respond. “Yes. That. Kai, I’m Princess Selene.”

He blinked, though if it was because of his diseased delirium or surprise at the statement, she did not know.

“I only found out from Dr. Erland when I was in prison, right before I escaped.” She leaned in, placing a soft chaste kiss on his lips. Under her touch, Cinder felt him stiffen for a moment before relaxing into his pillow. “I promise that I’ll do everything in my power to stop Levana.”

“Cinder—”

“No,” she said forcefully. “I have to. We’ll all suffer if I don’t.”

She was briefly aware that she was dumping information on him way too fast, but the situation was too urgent for her to care.

Kai made a movement, something that may have been an imitation of a sigh. “Aren’t you going to get sick?” he finally asked. “Being in here with me?”

“I’m immune,” she said with a tight, sad smile. “All Lunars are.”

His lips twisted in a sad ironic smile, and Cinder was glad that he hadn’t reached the last stage of the disease yet. At least she could talk to him. “Kiss me, then.”

So she did, allowing their lips to meld together, running her hands of skin and metal down his face and under his robe of finest silk. He shivered where she touched him, and if Cinder could have had anything in that moment, she would have wanted the ability to cry. If she could not save him of course.

***

Fate was cruel. Not a day after she left him, safely back on the Rampion, he died. The nation mourned and Levana was sure to be celebrating her victory. The members of the Rampion headed to Africa to meet Dr. Erland and begin their revolution. And Cinder was a hollow shell, unable to talk for days. She had no energy to train, to fight. Kai had not deserved this, just like Peony hadn’t.

Finally, her anger and sadness dissipated, becoming a dull ache that numbed everything else. Cinder closed her eyes, breathed in the desert air. She had a promise to keep.

**Author's Note:**

> that made me sad but i loved doing that. i just finished rereading scarlet so i thought a premature kai/levana wedding was the perfect way to write this prompt. i hope you enjoyed it<3 comments are always appreciated!


End file.
